Snape's Tea
by Sneezy Whale
Summary: Snape fixes himself a cup of tea.
1. Chapter 1

The sky was a menacing black, yet soft with clouds like an old sweater.

The students had long since retired to their beds, and the Hogwarts staff were each preparing to do the same.

All but Snape.

He was fixing himself a cup of tea.

His greasy, long hair swung in front of his sallow face as he searched for a non potion-stained cup, for some reason forgetting to use magic.

Finally finding one (though it had a horribly chipped rim) he directed a jet of boiling water into a pot.

Then he ripped a few slightly moldy leaves off a nearby plant and dropped them into the water.

He sat, waiting for the tea to steep.

His eyes fixed on a slimy green potion on one of his shelves.

It reminded him of Lily's eyes.

He cried.

* * *

After Snape had gotten over his overwhelming spring of emotion, he dried his eyes and got up from his chair.

In his fit of sobbing, he hadn't noticed the kettle had started whistling.

The tea was an unappetizing grey.

Like his life.

The thought was so depressing that...

He cried.

Again.


	2. Chapter 2

Snape gazed ruefully around the classroom, feeling glum.

Potter and the Weasley child were acting up again.

He itched to pull out his wand and give them both a taste of his wrath, but Dumbledore had already hinted (multiple times) that his job might be on the line.

So he contented himself to ripping up a paper Harry Potter doll- he kept a stash of them in the second drawer of his desk.

* * *

By the end of the class, Snape was nearly foaming at the mouth, and the paper dolls had done nothing to help.

He watched Potter with slightly mad eyes, longing to curse him into oblivion.

Harry snickered, as though sensing Snape's rage and helplessness.

"Oops!" Said Harry with glee, 'accidentally' knocking over yet another of Snape's potions.

The glass bottle shattered, and the silky yellow liquid inside proceeded to melt a hole in the floor.

That was it- no matter what Dumbledore did to him, Harry Potter would never see the light of day again.

He was just reaching for his wand when Potter splashed a potion in his face and ran, laughing, from the room.

Snape let out a strangled scream of rage and ferociously kicked a nearby shelf.

Potions rained from their precarious perchings, cracking on the floor and filling the room with assorted odors and smokes.

Snape, coughing, stumbled out of the room.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, a sorry-looking Snape was sitting in Dumbledore's office.

"Severus, Severus, Severus..." Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Why did you topple the potion shelves?"

Severus mumbled a barely audible answer.

"What was that?" said Dumbledore.

Snape looked at Dumbledore.

"I... I... lost control." He muttered.

Dumbledore shook his head again.

"Obviously. But what could transport you into such a state of rage that it gave you the need to demolish your office?"

Snape sniffed, then spoke, with no small amount of contempt in his voice-

"The... Potter boy."

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow in surprise.

"I, personally, Severus, find him to be a rather engaging child."

Snape snorted.

"You and the rest of the Wizarding World. I, Dumbledore, am the only one who can see him for what he really is- an arrogant, misbehaving, annoying _brat_."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"If you feel so strongly about it, Severus, perhaps I should bring him to my office and we can both deal with him."

And with that, Dumbledore walked out of the room.

Snape was taken by surprise, then glee.

Finally, a chance to make him pay.

* * *

A few minutes later, Dumbledore returned.

Harry was following close behind.

He stuck out his tongue at Snape, but then rearranged his features into a pleasant smile when Dumbledore turned around to offer him a lemon drop.

"Now, Harry, I'm very sorry for this interruption of your day- but I need to ask you a few questions."

Harry nodded, his eyes open wide, the picture of innocence.

"Did you misbehave during Potions"

Harry thought for a few moments, then shook his head no.

Snape snarled with rage.

"He's lying, Dumbledore! Lying!"

Dumbledore gave Snape a look of pure fury.

"Shut up, fool. I wasn't talking to you. Now, Harry, are you sure you made no attempt to anger Professor Snape in any way during class?"

Again Harry shook his head no, but this time he spoke.

"In fact sir, I thought I was being rather helpful. When I offered to polish Professor Snape's shoes for him, he simply glared at me and said he would jinx me if I didn't return to my seat."

Dumbledore turned to Snape, a look of shock and horror on his face.

"How... how could you do such a thing? Tell me more, Harry."

By this time, Snape was furious.

The only thing that kept his hand from his wand was the possibility of being fired.

Harry went on.

"After that, I offered to clean all the cauldrons. He responded with a few choice dirty words."

Snape ground his teeth as Dumbledore gave him a look of disgust.

It was going to be a very long day.


End file.
